This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Applications No. 2002-99074, filed on Apr. 1, 2002, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a non-contact information communication apparatus capable of transmitting and receiving information at non-contact, which transmits and receives information by using power by electromagnetic induction.
2. Related Background Art
A non-contact type IC card becomes widely used. Such an IC card can transmit and receive information by air without being inserted to a card reader and so on. Because of this, it is easy-to-use for user, as compared with the conventional contact type IC card.
The antenna size of the conventional non-contact type IC card is a card size or a half card size, in order to enlarge receiving effective area of electromagnetic wave and assure communication distance. For example, non-contact type antenna for the IC card of 15xc3x975 mm size has been realized.
In such a conventional non-contact type IC card, the number of turns of the loop antenna having large antenna aperture area is about 4-6, and the communication distance is about 30-35 mm. The reason is because the antenna is minute loop, and the antenna design is not optimized.
Furthermore, the thickness of the conventional non-contact type IC card is about 275 xcexcm, and the weight is also heavy. Because of this, it is inconvenient to carry it. Moreover, because the antenna size is large, it is difficult to downsize the IC card, and to fabricate the IC card with very smaller size than the card size.
Furthermore, because the fabrication cost is more expensive than the conventional commuter pass or pre-paid card, it is practically necessary to toll a prescribed fare at the beginning of use.
An object of the present invention is to provide a non-contact information communication apparatus having a long communication distance, capable of realizing lightweight, thinness, downsizing, and low fabrication cost.
In order to achieve the foregoing object, a non-contact information communication apparatus, comprising:
a resonance circuit which has an antenna coil and a capacitor connected between both ends of the antenna coil; and
an IC which embeds a rectification circuit configured to rectify resonance output of said rectification circuit, a communication circuit configured to perform demodulation processing of the received radio signal and modulation processing of a transmission signal, and a storing part configured to store data included in the radio signal,
wherein said resonance circuit and said IC are formed or implemented on a substrate;
said IC operates by using a voltage rectified by said rectification circuit as a driving power supply;
said antenna coil is formed of vortical pattern with the number of turns n (n is an integer equal to or more than 2) enclosing at least portion of said capacitor and said IC on the substrate; and
said non-contact information communication apparatus has a size equal to or smaller than that of one yen, and a thickness equal to or thinner than that of one yen.
According to the present invention, because the antenna coil with vortical pattern is formed so as to enclose at least portions of the capacitor and the IC on the substrate, it is possible to downsize size of the entire apparatus. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the thickness of the apparatus, as compared with the conventional apparatus.